Smarty Scoop on Weekend Activities: May 13-15

Happy Wednesday Smarties. May has to be one of my favorite months. This weekend visit one of our wonderful parks. These folks do a fantastic job with their programs. Weekend Movie/Music nights are back, what a perfect way to spend an evening with the family. Discovery Place’s IMAX theatre is featuring “Born Wild”. This is a must see and is one of many reasons to take the family Uptown to visit Discovery Place. Get out and Enjoy another wonderful Carolina weekend.

7th Annual Movies in the Park
Freedom Park Amphitheater
May 13, Movie begins at sunset
Enjoy free movies at the amphitheater. Bring a blanket or chair. Free popcorn and door prizes. Cost is free. Movie is The Karate Kid.

Super Kids Save the World!
ImaginOn
May 13, Tues.-Thurs., 10am-7pm; Fri.-Sat., 10am-5pm; and Sun., 1-6pm
Put on your super-hero cape and grab your galoshes because it’s time to save the world at The Magic House! From a farmer’s market to a recycling center, this exhibit teaches kids how to live green! In the house, kids learn what they can do in their own homes to help the environment. They’ll also get a chance to sit in an energy efficient car. In the research lab kids get to wear lab coats and pretend they are scientists. Parents love the “Re-Use Charity Shop”…Because they’ll find a lot of familiar toys! It’s an exhibit teaching an important message and giving kids & parents a super way to have fun! The Magic House has Earth Day Festivities thru April 24th. The exhibit “Super Kids Save the World” is open now thru January of next year. Ages 3-11.

Animal Tales: Bountiful Butterflies
McDowell Nature Center
May 13, 10:30am-11:15am
Join us with your preschooler as we read a fabulous animal tale and then enjoy crafts and activities related to each month’s theme. For more information contact McDowell Nature Center at 704.588.5224. Registration required. Ages 3-5. Cost is $3.

Family Campfire
McDowell Nature Center
May 13, 7:00pm-8:00pm
Enjoy Stories, eat s’mores, and sing songs around a campfire with family and friends. Groups are welcome to attend, come early to get tickets to the Nature at Night Hayride immediately following the Campfire (May – September). For more information call McDowell Nature Center at 704.588.5224. Cost is free.

Spring Fling
Primrose School of Lake Wylie
May 14, 10:00am-2:00pm
Enjoy food games, and lots of fun for children of all ages. Funds raised at Spring Fling will be donated to A Child’s Place. A Child’s Place works to erase the impact of homelessness on children and their education. A portion of the proceeds from our event this year will also go to the Primrose Children’s Foundation*. The Foundation has always supported organizations that focus on the needs of young children and their families. Most recently, the Foundation has focused its efforts on supporting two national organizations, Reach Out and Read and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals®. In just the past year alone, Primrose has donated $195,000 to Reach Out and Read and $95,000 to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Art Studio Saturday: Mexican Tin Art
Mint Museum Randolph
May 14, 10:00am-3:00pm
We provide the art supplies, you provide the creativity. At Art Studio Second Saturdays, you and your family can drop in anytime to explore new materials and ideas inspired by the museum’s permanent collections. Art projects are appropriate for children and adults. Prepare to get messy. Cost is $5-$10; free ages 4 and under.

Lord of the Flies
ImaginOn
May 13-14, Fri., 7:30pm; Sat., 3:00pm, 7:30pm
A plane crashes on a deserted island, leaving a group of schoolboys behind as the only survivors. At first the stranded boys cooperate, selecting a leader and organizing food, shelter and a signal fire, but many find that they would rather swim, play and hunt the island’s population of wild pigs. Before long, the well-behaved group has turned into a bloodthirsty tribe. Exploring the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, William Golding’s classic is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. Performed by our high school Ensemble Company. Ages 12 and older. Cost is $10. NOTE: Remaining true to the novel, this production contains scenes with violence, blood and murder. Some dialogue taken directly from the novel includes strong language.

H.M.S. Pinafore
Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
May 12, 14-15, Thurs., 7:30pm; Sat., 8:00pm; Sun., 2:00pm
Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operetta about topsy-turvy revelry on the high seas. The captains daughter, Josephine, is in love with a common sailor, but her father has a more sophisticated suitor in mind. Do the sailor and Josephine overturn conventional social order? A surprise ending turns the mates of the {inafore on their heads. Don’t miss this lovable, light-hearted classic. Cost is $10+.

Spring Fling Children’s Art Festival
Charlotte Art League
May 14, 1:00pm-4:00pm
A day for everyone to enjoy making art together. Come share in the festivities of the day by being creative s a family. Rotate through various activities, while listening to music and enjoying a snack. Cost is free.

Journeys Backyard Barbeque Tour
Concord Mills North Parking Lot
May 14, Noon-7:00pm
Extreme sports and music fest featuring international pros performing gravity-defying demos of the best in skateboard, BMX and freestyle motocross in a 60,000 square-foot “alternative sports playground” of ramps and jumps. Cost is free.

Matthews Summer Concert and Movie Series
Stumptown Park
May 14, 7:00pm. Movies begin at approximately 8:00pm
All concerts begin at 7 PM. Pre-Movie activities begin at 7 PM, movies begin approximately 8:30 PM or dusk. Vendors will be on site selling dinner food, treats and drinks.No pets. Band this week is Midnight Special THE Classic Rock Experience, Classic Rock Favorites from the 70’s & 80’s.

Pet Palooza 2011
Independence Park
May 14 8:00am-12:00pm
Pet Palooza is the largest annual fundraiser for the Humane Society of Charlotte. Participants will enjoy refreshments, entertainment, and a vendor fair, as well as a fido fashion show. Whether you sign up to run, walk, be a sponsor or vendor, the event is sure to be fun for the entire family! Pet Palooza attracts over 2,000 people who come out to support the Humane Society of Charlotte and is a great way to celebrate the good work of this organization.

Charlotte Arthritis Walk
US National Whitewater Center
May 14
The Arthritis Walk® is the Arthritis Foundation’s annual nationwide event that raises awareness and funds to fight arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of disability. It is a tremendous opportunity to help improve the lives of the 50 million men, women and children doctor-diagnosed with arthritis. Join us for a fun time as we walk a three-mile or one-mile course around the US National Whitewater Center. Together we can make a difference! The walk is a fun family event for a great cause (dogs welcome too). Over 300,000 kids have arthritis. Imagine a child experiencing pain by just walking or moving.

Girls Rock Band Festival
Charlotte Country Day School
May 14, 5:00pm-6:00pm
Third Annual Band Festival benefitting the Girls on the Run of Charlotte scholarship fund.
Featuring the wildly popular bands Fusion & School of Rock! Cost is $15-$20; Under 5 is free.

Waxhaw Spring Fest
Downtown Historic Waxhaw
May 14-15, Sat., 10:00am-6:00pm; and Sun., noon-6:00pm
Historic Downtown Waxhaw turns into a shoppers delight with over 100 vendors selling goodies such: Jewel-ry, Tupperware, Walking Sticks, BBQ Sauce, Tie-Dye T-shirts, Custom made: Pillowcases, Totes, & Aprons, Handmade soaps , lip balm and SO MUCH MORE. At lunch time stop by our food court with a dozen or more food vendors offering everything from hot dogs to giant turkey legs! Spring Fest is FREE and is a family friendly event!
For the kids we have our famous Kidz Zone with inflatables, petting zoo, Walk in the Woods and GREAT children’s entertainment!

Sunday Fun Days: Wonders of Wood
Mint Museum Uptown
May 15, 1:00pm-4:00pm
Third Sundays are family-time at the Mint Museum Uptown. Every Sunday Fun Day try out a new scavenger hunt in the museum galleries, see a performer or artist demonstration, and enjoy kid-friendly activities. Each month we’ll celebrate a new theme. See a demonstration by wood turner Charles Farrar. Cost is $10.